Echlin vs OEM

[Jpmiller]

I'll send you my card. 

Hmmm...in a bit of a bad mood.... Wife came home and i told her about my frustrations with my s-10. She said at this point my s-10 with almost 280,000 miles is a hobby! A hobby?!?! 

Ehhh, she doesnt understand the importance of treating a pickup right, keep it running, give it hope for another adventure. I say, a mans only as good as he treats his best rig!

Next step to working on my hobby...eerrrr, my investment,... is to tackle the instrument cluster.

I'll get this thing fixed if it bankrupts me or drives me crazy. Its 300,000 miles or bust...gulp 

The vultures are circling...i see you Woodchuck!

My daily driver rolled over 290 a few months back. Don't give up on it! Still a lot of life left in it I'm sure!

[Sandberm]

Follow up.

I took the instrument cluster out and took the back cover off exposing the printed circuit board. Going over each solder joint with a magnifying glass I saw nothing wrong. After doing internet research i discovered that there are a number of folks who will fix instrument clusters for a fair price ($150). They all plead with you to not try and fix it yourself before sending it to them. I decided it was best not to pull the front off the instrument cluster which would have meant pulling all the gauge needles off and thus perhaps getting them out of sync when i put them back on. Plus, if i did find a solder joint that looked suspect, my soldering skills are terrible and i would probably end up melting something.

So, I decided to do what i do best and that is ponder(procrastinate) my problem...for 2 weeks. I put the instrument cluster back in and hoped that something had changed, perhaps an electrical connection that I pulled apart and put back together would cure my pickups problem. OF COURSE it didn't do any good.

So, in the 2 weeks I had to ponder I decided that a new computer would be my next logical step, not sending my instrument cluster off to be rebuilt. I ordered one from fs1inc online for $185. I gave them my VIN, they programmed it and sent it to me and I put it in last night. After some troubles getting the security system/key to recognize each other I got it fired up this morning. Everything works on the cluster. The engine seems to run just fine and when I test drove it my sometimes shifting hiccups were gone. The automatic transmission shifts very smooth.

Cross my fingers that my little trucks intermittent problems are cured.   

[Sandberm]

The other popular item on those is the instrument cluster itself. There is a fair amount of communication that goes through the cluster.

I hate when folks do not do updates to explain whether the problem was fixed or not so I here I am to update 

Well, I put a new cluster in on Wednesday and everything seems to be working. I bought it from ISS Automotive for $250. This is after I put a new ECM($185) in it in September. I went with the computer before the cluster because of the transmission problems. After the new ECM was put in it worked for about 5 days before my intermittent problem came back. I must say that in those 5 days the truck did seem to run a little better and the shifting was flawless so I don't feel like that $185 was a total waste.

My little truck has 280,000 miles, hoping for 300,000. 

[Sandberm]

Another followup. Instrument cluster did not fix my intermittent problem.

I ended up putting the original ignition switch back in and now everything seems to work going on 12 days .

I think the "Standard" brand ignition switch I bought at O'Reillys and the "Echlin" switch I bought from Napa were made at the same factory in Taiwan an re branded to such. Each was bad out of the box.

Terrible buying new parts an they do not work. 

Doesn't bode well going forward in trying to fix my rigs buying parts store parts when OEM isn't available anymore.

[Sandberm]

Another followup. Instrument cluster did not fix my intermittent problem.

I ended up putting the original ignition switch back in and now everything seems to work going on 12 days .

I think the "Standard" brand ignition switch I bought at O'Reillys and the "Echlin" switch I bought from Napa were made at the same factory in Taiwan an re branded to such. Each was bad out of the box.

Terrible buying new parts an they do not work. 

Doesn't bode well going forward in trying to fix my rigs buying parts store parts when OEM isn't available anymore.

They are the same company! Eff me running. The box says says Standard when its sold at Oreillys, Autozone or Advanced Auto and Napa tricks you into thinking it is a better quality part by selling the same part under the Echlin brand. Found this out after watching this video. If it doesnt start there, go to the 10:22 time in the vid for explanation.

Thought Id share this bit of info for you fellas that work on your own vehicles.

[Woodchuck]

Have you torn your hair out yet? 

[Sandberm]

Have you torn your hair out yet? 

You mean because I expected BRAND NEW PARTS TO ACTUALLY WORK!?  TWICE!

You mean cuz I spent another $500 throwing more parts at it assuming THE BRAND NEW PARTS WERE NOT THE CULPRIT!?

Could have put that 5 hundy toward some rogaine(or tires). My little S-10 is up an running now, just spent another $500 on cheap tires for it this week on my quest to get to 300k miles 

[Woodchuck]

Have you torn your hair out yet? 

You mean because I expected BRAND NEW PARTS TO ACTUALLY WORK!?  TWICE!

You mean cuz I spent another $500 throwing more parts at it assuming THE BRAND NEW PARTS WERE NOT THE CULPRIT!?

Could have put that 5 hundy toward some rogaine(or tires). My little S-10 is up an running now, just spent another $500 on cheap tires for it this week on my quest to get to 300k miles 

Welcome to my world, lol.